Collection of One-Shots
by thyrandomninja
Summary: Short entries inspired by gameplay, trailers, Bungie statements - anything i fancy. K-plus for disturbing themes, violence. [Key: Title (Inspiration)] Currently includes: Toland's Fate (E3 "Taken King" trailer), Cabal Tactics (Grimoire, Gameplay), Titan Punishment (Co-op Experience)
1. Toland's Fate

A man walks silently across the Tower's courtyard, towards the Vanguard's chamber. News of his arrival has already spread, and he is met outside by Commander Zavala, Ikora Rey, and Cayde-6.

"Who are you?" Zavala demanded.

Ikora answered for him. "Toland, the Shattered."

"No; he isn't. I can accept your supporting Eris Morn, but this creature is transformed far beyond her deformities."

Perfectly on cue, the hive-eyed Warlock arrived at the courtyard, uncharacteristically eager to see the new arrival.

"Toland. I saw you die! What did Crota do to you!?"

For the first time, the dark guardian spoke, his voice deep and raspy. "Not Crota… no. I have a new master now."

"What has happened to you?" Eris' tone was now one of suspicion and wariness.

"Where is the one who destroyed the Black Garden, who slew Crota?" he asked, ignoring his old comrade.

"That would be me."

One of the many guardians surrounding the scene stepped forward, a small, white Ghost following behind.

"Are you sure you want to admit to that?" the Ghost asked nervously.

"Who's this master you speak of?" the guardian asked as he came close to the corrupted man.

"His name is Oryx, the Taken King… and he's coming for you, Guardian."

"Oryx!" Eris recoiled at the name and bared her teeth, but the guardian stood strong.

"Can you blame him? You killed his son. With his own sword." Toland cocked his head almost in admiration. "Now… he's out for revenge. And he's building a dark army to hunt you down."

"Oryx's armies are like nothing we will ever have faced before." Eris was clearly on edge, terrified at the prospect of meeting the father of the demon who had stolen her light.

Toland turned back to the warlock. "That's why he sent me here. To tell you to be afraid. To _show_ you... how afraid you should be. He did this to me. Turned my Light inside out and forged me anew in Darkness. And he did it effortlessly." Whispers began to flow through the crowd of guardians. "I'm here to show you how hopeless resistance is. Of course you'll still try - he knows that. And he knows you'll fail." Commander Zavala glared into the black pits where the man's eyes once sat. "But I've heard the legends. _I_ know... otherwise." Toland continued. "You're ready."

"If we're ready, why would he come to us?" the Ghost whispered to its host.

"I think we are." the guardian nodded.

"Do not speak too hastily. Oryx _is_ coming, Guardian. You got his attention. A very dangerous thing to have. Now…" Toland stepped forward, a dim green and white light starting to shimmer over his form. He placed a hand on the guardian's shoulder. "For all our sakes, go get his head."

With his last word, a green fire consumed him, and he disappeared from sight.


	2. Cabal Tactics

"I'll give you an excerpt from a Hunter's journal. Ahem. 'The Cabal are master tacticians. Even their most base soldiers are expertly trained in how to command the battlefield.'

"Now, we're strong, but how can we defeat an enemy that can out-strategise any strategy?

"Anything? Didn't think so. You Warlocks are too careful - always trying to think your way out of a situation. You've gotta trust your instincts more. It's simple, really: don't use a strategy.

"It's ridiculous to run head-first into a hoard of enemies, so do it. No-one in their right mind would throw a grenade to kill a single, lightly-armoured enemy… so do it.

"Everyone tries to shoot a Phalanx's arm when they hide in their shield, so they're starting to conceal more and more of their arm, learning to twist their wrists in just the right way to shoot you while hiding as much as possible. But who would be stupid enough to run up, rip their shield from them, and punch them in the face? No-one - _so do it._

"Run away from a lone Legionary - what's he running from? Is there something behind me? Shout and scream to give your position away - why is he attracting our attention? What ambush is he distracting us from?

"They are perfectly logical in their battle plans, so defy all logic.

"You can stay here and try to sneak around in the sand with your Bloodpact shader if you want - I'm going to throw this pebble at that Colossus… yes, the one surrounded by fifteen Legionaries."

\- Titan Thrake's last words… before single-handedly killing every member of a forty-strong Cabal scout party


	3. Titan Punishment

TYPE: Audio; Transcript.

DESCRIPTION: Conversation.

PARTIES: Four [4]. Two [2] Guardian-type, Class Titan: Vorge [v], Mariks [m]. Two [2] Ghost-type, designate: Titan Mariks [g.m] Titan Vorge [g.v].

ASSOCIATIONS: Titan Vorge; Titan Mariks; Ember Caves; Ishtar Sink; Venus; Baron Harson; House of Winter; Fallen; Vex; Black Garden; Traveller; Warlock Gerdhen; Ikora Rey; Cosmodrome; Vanguard; Hive; Commander Zavala; Ice Breaker;

/AUDIO AVAILABLE/

/TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS…/

[v:0.1] Hey.

[m:0.1] What? You see something?

[v:0.2] Nah, just bored.

[m:0.2] Well, don't distract me - that Baron could be leaving the cave any second now. We can't miss this chance.

[v:0.3] You can watch and listen at the same time - just trying to start a conversation.

[audible sigh]

[m:0.3] Fine... what d'you wanna talk about?

[silence]

[v:0.4] Did you hear about that really lonely Warlock who started [significant inflection change] playing around [inflection reversion] with Vex tech, if you know what I mean?

[m:0.4] What!?

[v:0.5] Yeah, apparently he caught a... Vex-ually Transmitted Disease.

[m:0.5] Oh, my god, why do I hang out with you?

[v:0.6] Because I'm the only one who accepts your glaring personality flaws.

[g.m:0.1] He's right, you know.

[m:0.6] Don't you take his side!

[v:0.7] At least he found out some useful info on them first. Turns out they like coating flowers with the Revenant shader. They're trying to expand the Black Garden.

[m:0.7] By the Traveller... why couldn't I get Gerdhen for this mission?

[g.m:0.2] Ikora Rey assigned her to escorting a convoy through the Cosmodrome.

[v:0.8] Mm. She's on [significant inflection change] Van-guard [inflection reversion] duty.

[audible groan]

[g.m:0.3] Oh, I see what you did there - that was a good one.

[m:0.8] Where's this [CENSORED] Baron already? Sooner we're done here, the better.

[v:0.9] Maybe he's [significant inflection change] Fallen [inflection reversion] and can't get up.

[audible shuffling]

[m:0.9] If you don't stop, I'm going to shoot you and [significant inflection change] give [inflection reversion] your ghost to the Hive.

[v:1.0] That would be a bad idea - you should really [significant inflection change] Zav-al-a [inflection reversion] your ammo for the target.

[m:1.0] I really [CENSORED] hate you sometimes...

[v:1.1] I know.

[silence]

[v:1.2] That's a cool sniper rifle you've got, by the way.

[audible breath]

[m:1.1] Yes it is.

[v:1.3] Does it have self-regenerating ammo?

[m:1.2] No!

[m:1.3] No! Why would it have regenerating ammo?

[v:1.4] Jeez, man, no need to get snappy. I was just looking for an [significant inflection change] Ice Breaker.

[silence]

[silence]

[audible crack]

[m:1.4] DON'T respawn him.

[g.v:0.1] Thank you so much for that.

[m:1.5] My pleasure.

/… END TRANSCRIPT/


End file.
